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Mesa Verde an Ancient Metropolis

by Brian on July 25, 2012 in Colorado, Travel, United States

Tower House Mesa Verde National Park

Some things never get old. Like the ancient cliff dwellings scattered throughout the American Southwest. We find them endlessly fascinating.

In previous posts we’ve likened the structures at Bandelier National Monument to ancient condos and those at Gila to primordial McMansions. Compared to those parks, Mesa Verde is an Ancestral Puebloan metropolis. The park’s 52,000 acres contain nearly 5,000 known archaeological sites, including a whopping 600 cliff dwellings.

Photo of the Day: Red Rocks Amphitheater

by Brian on July 23, 2012 in Colorado, Photo of the Day, United States

Red Rocks Amphitheater, Red Rocks Park, Morrison, CO

Photo of the Day: Collared Lizard

by Brian on July 18, 2012 in Photo of the Day

A colorfull Collared Lizard at Petrified Forest National Park, AZ

Morning in Monument Valley

by Brian on July 13, 2012 in Travel, United States, Utah

The rising sun illuminates Monument Valley formations

In some respects, we were incredibly lucky. True, two of our three days in Utah’s Monument Valley were completely blown away by dust storms. And on our fourth day those same gusty winds threatened to force us off the road as we tried to escape the wicked weather. But that second day, the day we arranged an off road tour of the Valley? That day was perfect.

We arose well before sunup to get the first tour of the morning. Our only complaint is that we didn’t get up even earlier. We couldn’t have known that this would be our only clear day in the Valley, and our only chance to photograph the monuments as they emerged from night’s inky blackness into beautiful blue silhouettes of dawn.

We saw them briefly in that light as we pulled into our appointed pick-up spot but had no time for photos. Our jeep was waiting and a bit impatiently too.

Canyon de Chelly National Monument

by Brian on July 11, 2012 in Arizona, Freshly Pressed, Travel, United States

Mummy Cave Ruins, Canyon de Chelly, AZ

After a couple of days at the breathtakingly large Grand Canyon, we were ready for something smaller and more intimate. If visiting the Grand is like going to a huge metropolis (complete with teeming sidewalks), Canyon de Chelly (“Canyon d’SHAY”) feels more like a quaint town. It is so cozy that you can explore the entire area in a single active day.

You access the bulk of Canyon de Chelly via two scenic drives along the North and South rims. You can visit all ten overlooks in about four hours. Budget more time if you want to while away an afternoon basking in the beautiful canyon scenery.